Performance of rotary kiln reactor for the elephant grass pyrolysis

•Elephant grass was pyrolysed in a rotary kiln reactor.•The influence of temperature and rotary speed on syngas production was investigated.•Properties and characteristics of biochar also were investigated for agronomic uses.•Syngas presented similar quality to the reported for catalytic pyrolysis of biomass.•Biochar presented suitable properties for agronomic purposes. The influence of process conditions (rotary speed/temperature) on the performance of a rotary kiln reactor for non-catalytic pyrolysis of a perennial grass (elephant grass) was investigated. The product yields, the production of non-condensable gases as well as the biochar properties were evaluated. The maximum H2 yield was close to that observed for catalytic pyrolysis processes, while the bio-oil yield was higher than reported for pyrolysis of other biomass in rotary kiln reactors. A H2/CO ratio suitable for Fischer–Tropsch synthesis (FTS) was obtained. The biochars presented an alkaline pH (above 10) and interesting contents of nutrients, as well as low electrical conductivity, indicating a high potential as soil amendment.